[fsflover]

> To do what? Collect a lot of useless information?

To force you into buying something you don't need, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surveillance_capitalism. Also, to obtain your commercial secrets: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_surveillance#Purposes.

[kmlx]

> To force you into buying something you don't need

No one can force you to do anything.

[ohgodplsno]

That is surely why most large companies have entire teams human behavior psychologists, because they can't force you to do anything. Definitely not to figure out how to get something drilled deep in your brain so that the next time you see it, you're inching ever closer to buying it.

In fact, that's why Facebook ran secret psychological experiments on unwilling participants by modifying their timeline! Because they can't force you to do anything.

[fsflover]

If it was true, the surveillance capitalism would not exist. You can call this "trick you into buying useless staff" if you wish. See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Targeted_advertising#Consumers....

[nickpp]

People have been buying useless crap since the begging of time. It didn't start with targeted advertising.

[fsflover]

Are you implying that tricking people into buying more useless staff is fine?

[nickpp]

Who are you to decide for other people what they find useless or not? And are you implying people have no free will to decide what to buy and they need others to "trick" them or to prevent them from buying?

Do you consider yourself above other people and some sort of arbiter for their decisions?

[fsflover]

People should have the freedom to not be manipulated.